Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Lake trout

I have been trying to catch a laker now since I was 12 years old with no success. I've fished for them from shore, trolling, through the ice you name it with no luck.

Any of you guys have any advice to offer? I wouldn't keep a big one if I were to hang into one, might keep a little one for supper just to see how they taste.

I have trolling gear, spoons, cowbells, flashers of several sizes, as well as a downrigger. Of course the normal spinning gear everyone has, tons of Vibrax, Mepps, Panther Martins and a zillion casting spoons. I have a boat and motor but it isn't much if the water is big, 12' Monkey Ward semi Vee and a 15hp Rude.

I have thought of going to Louise but know the wind can kick up and get nasty there pretty quick. Might try Paxson if I can get up there, long drive to head in blind.

Anyway, whatever you have to offer would be appreciated as well as laker pictures and stories. I've only ever layed eyes on one in the flesh and it was one my Grandad caught when I was 12.

Try Hidden Lake off Skilak Lake Rd between Sterling and Cooper Landing

http://www.campgroundsalaska.com/kenaipeninsula/hiddenlakecampground.php

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NEdVI0f-170

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gZPNgP3bASw

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HRO3GJgB0Ws

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HRO3GJgB0Ws

Been years since I fished Louise or Hidden but both should be able to produce an eating size lake trout. I've fished LTs for over 60 years and I seldom hear your comment about releasing big ones. Thank you....some of the old trout can be as old as I am and need to be released to reproduce.

Today's fish finders are a great help and line counter reels [Shimano Takota LC] are a plus.

If you don't know where your lure is you're not fishing....you're just wishing!

PM me with your email and perhaps I can steer you toward a lake trout.

The outlet of Paxson in the spring when the smolt are heading down is a good bet. Might be a week or so late but I bet there's still a few hanging out there.

Fish the outlet at "night", that's when the smolt move down stream. basically spend the night there. Anything flashy will work and it's a great spot to catch a laker on the fly

Come on up to Lake Ontario I'll put you on as many as you care to catch
Hammerhead cowbells and Gambler Rig spin and glows fished just off bottom will get you many.

Lordy there's some big lake trout around


Of the ones I'm aware of involve a plane trip.

Good luck in your quest for a laker

When you score share the pix please

Thanks for the pointers and pictures fellas. I'll nab one one of these days.

Buddy of mine's wife caught a monster 35+ pounder out of Louise about 7 years ago. She thought she was snagged as they slow trolled Krocodile spoons until it slowly took off and picked up speed. They took photos and released it, biologist at Glenallen nearly shook their hands off thanking them for turning that big spawner loose. Funniest part of the whole deal is that they were fishing in a freaking Coleman Crawdad! If you aren't familiar with such a vessel Google it. If you are familiar with Lake Louise I think you'll agree with me that it isn't the ideal watercraft for the area.

Lake trout are not difficult to catch ....... but finding them can be the tricky part.

I smoke dozens of them each year. I cut along the spine so they lay flat, brine for a few hrs and smoke for 6-8 hrs. Extremely taste and can be served in many ways once smoked. I give most away and am usually asked for more.

We go every year an knock them out ....at ice out break out the chartuse, lime green minnows... No fish in Paxton till after 10 pm ...lol those are our rules..use cut bait they eat snails off the bottom ,like they are going out of style !

I have fished Paxson and Summit a lot. A LOT. The best times to wack them from shore is right after ice out and in the fall when they are spawning. The fishing in Summit when they are spawning is ridiculous if you can find where they are spawning, not unusual to catch 50+ fish in a couple of hours. I would use a Mr Twister sassy shad. Any chartreuse jig will work though.

Hmm, good info, drive past both lakes quite often, never had the time or a boat, or knowledge, but now that I know will pencil in for the future.

This picture was taken up at Summit during the spawn. This spot was good year after year, and it was within walking distance of the denali highway. :-) If you look closely you can see all the lakers just milling around. As soon as the jig hit the water it would be a race to get to it first.

Try Big RoundTangle and portage over to upper Tangle lake. A little work but great results. Lower String Tagle is crazy good on Mel's but you have to commit to the Delta river trip when your that far in

if you look closely.... LOL I'm not THAT blind....

Holy smokes Hank! Looks like a magnum version of the bluegill spawn back home. Unfortunately the way things are shaping up it doesn't look like I'll get a chance to try them until July at the earliest but it is definitely on my to do list.

River outlets into big lakes always seemed to have lake trout lurking in the Bristol Bay Area. They would hit streamer flies in almost any shape or color. This was during the summer. I saw many caught several hundred yards into the river.

You can also try Long lake on the Glenn Hwy north of Palmer. We used to fish that one a lot and would hook into lakers all the time. They're generally not very big ones. I think the biggest we ever caught was about 10 pounds. You get some nice dollies out of there too. Paxson produced quite a few lakers, but I've only fished it during the winter. We'd generally find them in spots that were between 20 and 40 feet of water.

Fished this past Friday with my charter buddy,we targeted lakers for a derby.We ended up with 1st and 5th place.I fished Tuesday with another friend and we landed the 4th place fish.

21.1 lbs was the winning laker for us

Nice

Man I'm jealous, big Trout around here are 8- 10 lbs .

When salmon are spawning at outlet of Paxton fish in the closed(to salmon fishing) area with an egg or facsimile. If it is still legal to do so. 12 inchers used to be in there thick sucking up Salmon roe.

Soak some eggs off the shore in Kenai Lake late evening/overnight down Hidden Lake Trail. Almost always has worked for me for lakers, dollies and the occaisional rainbow. Or most anywhere probably. They come up and cruise the shoreline late eve and night.

The Michigan state record was caught in Lake Superior off L'Anse....61.5lbs. It is on display at the Hillside Restaurant in L'Anse. I was told it was caught near Stannard Rock,

http://daybreakfish.com/stannard-rock-offshore-adventure/

Not being a smart azz, but I can't find a paxton lake, I'm assuming paxson and paxton are the same? Google earth couldn't anyway.

My wife's first from our place in north Idaho. Now empty nesters we need to get up there for rainbows.

And I think he is talking about Summit Lake, rather than Paxson as that is where the closed area is. And I have not seen the swarms of small lakers in many years.

Just curious. I'm sure it's temperature and food source specific, but how old would some of those yard long fish be?

Research there showed 8 years to maturity and about 25", and 8 more years to 26". Things slow WAY down when they start spawning.

If you stop to check it out, get yourself a cinnamon roll while youre there.....

Best cinnamon roll I have ever had!

There is definitely great ranbow fishing at the outlet of Paxson, we would fish down there a couple times a year. Never got much for lakers there this time of year but the rainbow fishing is really good. We always fished beads though. There are a couple of markers along the shore that mark where the lakers spawn. We fished those spots in the fall with great success.

You guys are correct. "Paxton" was misspelled. Should have been spelled "Summit".

Have not been to either lake or area in 30 plus years. Brain ain't the only thing on a downgrade.....

I felt like an azz for asking, but I know how my brain works these days.

Thanks, Jeff

Good read... http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=364. ...I have some old paperwork from a fish /l trout study off the D- hwy.... The fish are old !!!! And I to have found the fish grow to the lake size.